Among Sand and Sunrise

by Stacy Henrie

  But rather than giving in to their doubts, his grandmother’s hesitation had actually faded over the past few weeks. She would never be the sort to lead and take charge as Adelle did. Nor was she likely to be as generally optimistic as Rose or as outspoken as Florence. But there was a confident light in her eyes that Marcus hadn’t seen since his grandfather had died.

  He accepted another drink of water, though he only swallowed half of it this time. The other half he dumped over his head. The coolness running through his hair and down his face felt marvelous.

  “You were right to believe Syble’s map was not a fake.” He handed back the ladle, then dried his glasses on a relatively clean section of his shirt.

  Gran placed the ladle into the bucket and waved Aheed forward. When the boy stepped away, she turned back to Marcus. “It wasn’t the map I believed in.” Her gaze landed tenderly on his face. “It was you, Marcus. I knew we’d find something eventually because of my faith and belief in you.”

  A lump filled his throat, and he coughed to clear it as he put his glasses back on. Other than Syble’s compliments, Marcus couldn’t recall ever hearing such affirming words spoken about his work. About him.

  “I imagine you say that to all of your grandchildren,” he countered in an effort to appear less affected. He should’ve known his grandmother would see through his thin act.

  Gran cupped his face with her lined hand, as she used to do when he was a boy. “Even if I do say something similar, that makes it no less true for you, Marcus. You’ve followed your own unique path and stuck with it. Just as your siblings have. That tenacity is something all six of you inherited from your grandfather.” She added with a knowing smile, “And your mother.”

  Marcus had to blink to rid his eyes of some unexpected moisture. His grandmother couldn’t have presented him with a greater treasure than her sincere words.

  In her eyes, he was no different than his siblings, whether he was British, American, or some other nationality altogether. He might not have achieved the same public acclaim as his brothers and brothers-in-law, but to Gran, he possessed the same determination they and his sisters did. The realization engendered a sense of kinship with his family, the likes of which he hadn’t felt in ages.

  “I love you, Gran.” He didn’t often share such affection outright, but he wanted to today, lest she forget. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her wrinkled cheek.

  She covered the spot with her free hand. “I love you too, my boy.”

  “I know I was a curmudgeon about this dig in the beginning.” His neck flushed with embarrassment when he recalled his initial hesitation and stubbornness. “However, I hope you know I will be forever grateful I came along. It’s been one of the highlights of my year”—he cleared his throat again—“possibly of my life, doing this with you.”

  Her eyes glittered with tears now. “I’ve felt the same. Thank you for agreeing to help us.” She glanced to where Aheed was dispensing water before throwing Marcus a rueful look. “I’d better keep up with him. Otherwise, he gives out only one ladleful instead of two.”

  “A definite travesty,” Marcus said, chuckling.

  Gran joined in before moving on. Crouching, Marcus picked up his neglected basket, feeling lighter. He sensed someone watching him. When he lifted his chin, his eyes went to Syble, still working close by. Her lips were flattened in confusion, and yet her blue eyes also held a sheen of tears. She blushed when her gaze met his, and she ducked her head.

  Far from feeling discouraged, though, Marcus actually smiled as he returned to his task. The emotion in her eyes hadn’t been one of sadness or anger. There’d been admiration and longing there, and more than anything else, that sight gave him reason to hope that things might work out between them after all.

  * * *

  The sun had already dipped below the hills, the sky reflecting its dying brilliance, by the time Syble and the others stood at the bottom of the steps leading to the tomb’s entrance. They’d managed to clear away enough sand to reach part of the door and make a small hole within it. Lifting her palm, Syble could feel the cooler air coming from the opening. Marcus had explained the second door would be located farther into the darkness of the descending passageway.

  They had finally found the object of their search. The elated pounding of Syble’s heart and the presence of the door helped ground her in the reality of their efforts, reminding her this wasn’t just a dream.

  “Since Aheed is the smallest and can easily slip inside, he’ll enter first,” Marcus told them. “He’ll investigate as much as he can without a light. Then tomorrow we’ll widen the entrance to make the tomb more accessible.”

  Aheed tossed them a grin before dropping to his stomach and disappearing through the hole. Syble bounced on her toes as she waited, her fingers clasping and unclasping with excited energy. Nana and Rose were fidgeting too. Even Florence had moderated her usual skeptical remarks since they’d uncovered the steps. Ethel, on the other hand, responded to all of the excitement with surprising serenity, except when she glanced at her grandson. Then her eyes lit with joy.

  Syble had witnessed their tender exchange earlier. And though she’d told herself she ought to at least pretend she couldn’t see and hear them, the closeness she’d observed had held her attention in spite of herself.

  Marcus’s regard for his grandmother had always been obvious. But there was something decidedly attractive about a man who wasn’t afraid to show such esteem openly. Or who could admit to his mistakes and show that he treasured his relationships. Was there any possibility he would ever think as highly of her—strengths, weaknesses, and all?

  Bending down in front of the hole, Marcus called out something in Arabic. Aheed’s response sounded faint.

  “Did he find something?” Syble asked.

  Marcus sat back on his heels. “Only that the passageway is another series of steps, and he reached the second door.”

  A sudden shout pulled both their gazes toward the hole. “He found something,” Marcus interpreted, his tone every bit as eager as the boy’s.

  Several moments crawled by before Aheed’s small body popped out of the hole. The boy lifted the object he held in one fist. It was a necklace made entirely of gold. Syble gasped at the sight, and she wasn’t the only one.

  The widows crowded around as the boy handed the necklace to Marcus. “It’s exquisite.” He rubbed his thumb over the intricate designs.

  “Does this mean the tomb is intact?” Syble asked. When it was her turn to examine the necklace, she fingered the beautiful piece of jewelry.

  Marcus shrugged. “Since Aheed found the necklace in the passageway, it may have been taken by tomb robbers and then dropped by accident when they left. So the tomb may be intact—but it may not. It’s hard to say just yet.”

  Syble passed the necklace to her grandmother and turned back to Marcus. “I’d like to go inside.” She would have to squeeze through the opening on her stomach as Aheed had done, and the passageway would be pitch black, but she still wanted to experience this first breech into the tomb.

  “By all means.” He smiled as if he’d already anticipated her request, before she had even asked it. “Your map did lead us here.”

  She crouched in front of the hole and peered into the darkness. “Why don’t you come too?” she asked, looking at him over her shoulder. “I’ll follow you.”

  “Don’t tell me the intrepid Syble is feeling nervous?”

  She rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Hardly.” Embarrassment heated her face, though, as she attempted to explain. “I just thought you might appreciate being the next person to enter the passageway in who knows how many thousands of years.”

  He seemed surprised by her suggestion but also pleased. “I would like that very much. Thank you.”

  Syble scooted over to allow him room. Once he’d squeezed through the opening, it was her turn. She wriggled through the hole. On the other side, darkness surrounded her. It wasn’t ominous or frighteni
ng, though. If anything, it was cool and comforting, almost reverent.

  She felt Marcus grasp her elbow and help her climb to her feet. Then his hand slid to hers, and he threaded his fingers through her own. The contact set Syble’s pulse racing with far more than excitement. But this time, she didn’t bother to tamp it down or ignore it. Right now, she simply wanted to embrace this special moment.

  “Are you ready?” he said, near her ear.

  Syble gently squeezed his hand. “Let’s see this tomb of ours.” Then she followed Marcus down the passageway.

  CHAPTER 13

  The entire group rose before the sun the following day, gathering together before the crew even arrived. Marcus guessed they were as eager as him to see what lay beyond the tomb’s second door. Breakfast was served early, but he wasn’t the only one to eat little. Anticipation gobbled his appetite, as it must have for the others. He and Syble had then cleared away more sand from the first door and widened the hole to allow everyone easy entrance.

  Marcus had thoroughly enjoyed his and Syble’s brief trek into the tomb the night before. Or rather, he had enjoyed holding her hand. At the bottom of the darkened passageway, he’d stopped and run his free hand along the second door until it brushed the seal.

  “I believe your tomb may be intact.” He kept his voice to a whisper, though he wasn’t certain why. Perhaps it was the dark or the way the unseen rock around them breathed with ancient life.

  Syble gripped his hand more tightly. “You really think so?”

  He could sense her elated smile without seeing it. “The seal hasn’t been broken.” He guided her fingers to touch the seal. Rather than releasing his hand, though, she explored the seal’s contours with her other hand, leaving Marcus secretly pleased and full of hope once again. After that, they made their way back up the passage and shared the news of the unbroken seal with the others.

  Fatigue born of excitement and work had driven them all to bed not long after dinner the night before. But Marcus felt certain he hadn’t been the only one who had lain awake, tired in body but not in mind.

  Intermingled with his elation had been an underlying hum of apprehension. Would this tomb prove to be largely empty, as his tomb had, even with the seal intact? He hoped that wouldn’t prove to be the case.

  He’d then recalled the faces of the five women during dinner. They had exuded enthusiasm, though in varying degrees and with different expressions. But all of them, including Florence, hadn’t been able to stop talking about what they hoped to find inside the tomb, especially after the discovery of the necklace. Marcus didn’t wish for anything less than the absolute fulfillment of their hopes.

  Now the anticipated moment had arrived. Marcus approached Syble and the Wandering Widows, who waited near the tomb’s outer steps. Some more patiently than others. Florence grumbled about the time it had taken him to light the lamp, but the twinkle in her eyes proved it was all for show.

  Marcus gripped the lamp in one hand and a mallet for breaking the seal in his other. The necklace Aheed had found was tucked inside his pocket, to be placed back inside the tomb. “Shall we proceed?”

  The answer to his question came in the form of five consecutive nods, Syble’s being the most fervent. She overflowed with energy as she paced before the tomb’s entrance. In the past, Marcus might have found such a sight annoying, but now, he thought it rather…endearing. Perhaps he now understood Syble in a way he hadn’t been willing to do eight years ago.

  “Take each step carefully,” he instructed.

  He held the light aloft, then offered the crook of his elbow to Gran. She took hold of his arm, and together they descended the steps, moved through the doorway, and entered the passage. Marcus could hear the others coming behind them. Slowly, they made their way down the second set of stairs until they reached the next door.

  Handing off the lamp to Syble, Marcus invited the whole group to step back. It was time to break the seal. He brandished the mallet before striking the seal with a hard blow. The sound echoed loudly in the passageway. Several blows later, the seal broke at last. The women rewarded his efforts with a cheer.

  Marcus made a breach in the doorway next, then set down the mallet. He pulled in a deep breath, hoping to steady his quickening heartbeat. Whatever the tomb’s secrets, they would no longer be a mystery the instant they walked through the door. “Gran, would you and Syble care to be the first to enter?”

  His grandmother smiled but shook her head. “The five of us discussed it last night, and we are all in agreement that you should go in first.”

  “Is that really what you wish?” He directed the question to all of them, though he kept his gaze on Syble. Surely with how important this dig was to her, she would want to be the first one inside the tomb’s chambers.

  She nodded. “Your grandmother’s right. We’ll follow you.” She extended the lamp toward him. “But if you don’t step through this doorway in the next thirty seconds, I can’t promise I won’t rush past you.”

  “Very well,” Marcus said with a laugh as he took the lamp in hand again. He glanced at each of them in turn. “Here we go.”

  He slipped through the doorway, his next breath lodged in his throat. Lifting the light, Marcus entered the chamber. The walls were void of decoration, but he hardly noticed or cared. His eyes were drawn instead to the center of the single room and the treasures piled there.

  * * *

  Not even in the homes and ballrooms of New York had Syble seen a sight as gold-plated and glittering as the one before her. There were two mummy cases as well as jewels, ancient jars, and a chariot. The widows gasped out loud as they, too, entered the chamber.

  “It’s…” How could Syble even describe such a scene?

  Marcus smiled at her. “Incredible?”

  “Yes,” she murmured. “I’m afraid if I blink the whole thing will disappear.”

  He laughed. “I feel the same.”

  She joined her grandmother and the others who were looking over the items and talking excitedly to each other. “What is in the jars?” Rose asked Marcus as she stood beside the containers.

  “Probably wine and oil.” He waved at some boxes close to where Ethel and Florence were standing. “Those likely contain cooked meat.” His demeanor exuded appreciation and awe as he gazed around the room.

  Syble peered down at one of the mummy cases. “Who do you think is buried here?”

  “I’m not entirely certain.” Marcus ran a hand over the case. “Since there appear to be no other doorways leading off this chamber, I would guess this may be the burial site of a noble couple, or perhaps the in-laws of a pharaoh.”

  Syble’s grandmother studied the chariot. “Whoever was buried here, this tomb is amazing. I’m surprised at the number of artifacts, too, given what few have been found so far in the other tomb.”

  A pained look crossed Marcus’s face at Nana’s words, though Syble doubted anyone else noticed. This sort of treasure, or something even grander, was exactly what he still hoped to find. And while he’d receive acclaim for this discovery, just as they all would, it wouldn’t be the same as the recognition that would surely come from a project that he alone had spearheaded.

  He had known all of that from the beginning, and yet Marcus had still agreed to help. He’d given his time, energy, and care to this project. It would be no different with the woman he chose to love someday—Syble was sure of it. Marcus would devote his entire heart to that relationship. Could there be anything more romantic than that? Not for the first time, she wondered how Esme could have let him go.

  Marcus’s dedication and willingness to help had never been more obvious. Syble’s own efforts at finding him a wife felt almost paltry now. Maybe there was something else she could do for him, some way to help him realize the fulfillment of his greatest dream.

  “What do we do now?” she asked. “How do we let others know what we’ve discovered?”

  “I’ll let the Antiquities Service know of the find today,�
� he said. “They will want to see it, especially since the tomb is, for all intents and purposes, intact.”

  Florence gestured at the necklace Marcus pulled from his pocket. “What about the necklace? Doesn’t that indicate the tomb was broken into before?”

  “It may simply mean the passageway was once disturbed.” Marcus placed the necklace on top of the case. “And because the seal on the second door was unbroken and nothing appears to have been disturbed in here, the Service will likely declare the tomb fully intact.”

  Reaching out, Syble touched the necklace one more time. “Everything will have to be turned over to them, right?”

  Marcus nodded as he moved toward the chariot. “We’ll also want to contact the London Times and perhaps a few of the American newspapers to report the find. That way all of you will receive due credit in your own country.”

  “Why don’t I contact the newspapers?” Syble offered, an idea forming inside her head. It might be just the thing to help Marcus. “You take care of the Antiquities Service, Marcus, and I’ll handle the papers.”

  He regarded her for a long moment, his hands inside his pockets. “Very well.” Did he think she was concerned about not receiving sufficient credit if she didn’t report the discovery herself?

  “I just thought…” She pressed her lips over the rest of her explanation. Her idea might not come to fruition, which meant that for now, she would keep it to herself.

  Once they’d finished investigating and exclaiming over the treasure and confirmed the absence of any other chambers, Marcus led them back outside. “The crew will be here shortly. They can help us pack up the camp.”

  “Pack up?” Syble echoed, blinking in the bright light.

  Marcus extinguished the lamp. “Since we’ve found the tomb and its treasure, our work here has concluded.”

  An overwhelming sadness filled Syble, nibbling at the thrilling moments of earlier. Their time here had come to an official end much too soon. Would Nana be willing to remain in Luxor for another few weeks? Or would her grandmother and the other widows wish to visit other parts of Egypt until it was time for the five of them to return home?